During needle biopsy and some interventional therapy, clinicians need to insert a needle into a subject, such as the body, to reach a target mass. Usually US imaging is used for live monitoring the needle insertion procedure. To deliver a safe and successful procedure, it is critical to locate the needle accurately in the guided US image. Unfortunately, in clinical practice the visibility of the needle in the conventional US image is poor, resulting in difficulty for clinicians to insert the needle accurately.
Different techniques have been used to achieve better needle visualization in US images, for example, adaptively steering the US beam towards the needle to improve the acoustic reflection of the needle and compounding with the non-steered US image; manipulating the needle surface coating, geometry and diameter to enhance acoustic reflection; providing an extra optical or electro-magnetic position sensor on the needle to track the needle location in the US image, etc. In these techniques, either a specially designed needle is used, or an extra position sensor is attached to the needle, or the US imaging system is manipulated to enhance the visualization of the needle. Those approaches will lead to an increase of the total cost of providing enhanced needle visualization.